Barrack says Israel's turn to 'comply' as Lebanon moves to disarm Hezbollah

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack on Monday called on Israel to honor commitments under a ceasefire that ended its war with Hezbollah, after the Lebanese government launched a process to disarm the militant group.

Under the November truce agreement, weapons in Lebanon were to be restricted to the state and Israel was to fully withdraw its troops from the country, although it has kept forces at five border points it deems strategic.

"I think the Lebanese government has done their part. They've taken the first step. Now what we need is Israel to comply," Barrack said following a meeting in Beirut with President Joseph Aoun.

Asked by reporters about whether he expected to see Israel fully withdraw from Lebanese territory, Barrack said that "that's exactly the next step" needed.

To the U.S. diplomat, "the next step is we need participation on the part of Israel, and we need an economic plan for prosperity, restoration and renovation" in Lebanon, weighed down by dire political and economic crises in recent years.

Barrack said Washington was "in the process of now discussing with Israel what their position is," adding that "in the next few weeks you're going to see progress on all sides."

"It means a better life for the people... and at least the beginning of a roadway to a different kind of dialogue" in the region, he said.

Barrack is also set to meet with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri, who often negotiates on behalf of Hezbollah with Washington.

The U.S. diplomat's visit comes less than two weeks after Lebanon's cabinet tasked the army with developing a plan to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah by the end of the year -- an unprecedented step since civil war factions gave up their weapons decades ago.

A second cabinet meeting on August 7 tackled a U.S. proposal that includes a timetable for Hezbollah's disarmament, with Washington pressing Lebanon to take action on the matter.

The cabinet endorsed the introduction of the U.S. text, which lists 11 objectives including "ensuring the sustainability" of the November ceasefire agreement with Israel, and "the gradual end of the armed presence of all non-governmental entities, including Hezbollah, in all Lebanese territory."

Israel routinely carries out air strikes in Lebanon despite the ceasefire, and has signlled it would not hesitate to launch destructive military operations if Beirut failed to disarm Hezbollah.

Barrack on Monday stressed that "dealing with Hezbollah, as we've always said, is a Lebanese process."

The Lebanese cabinet's decision last week to support a plan to disarm Hezbollah angered the Iran-backed group and its allies, who believe Israel's military should first withdraw from the five hilltops it has occupied in southern Lebanon since the end of its 14-month war with Hezbollah last November and stop launching almost daily airstrikes in the country.

Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's chief, has vowed to fight efforts to disarm the group, sowing fears of civil unrest in the country.

Barrack warned Hezbollah that it will have “missed an opportunity” if it doesn't back the calls for it to disarm.